Not a WTF, but definitely a curious perversion



  •       The card/card scanner network is probably the least WTFey thing in our factory. All employees use the chip cards to check in/check out to work, unlock the offices with limited access, pay in the cafeteria, so we all remain deeply indebted to our employer and thus can´t escape our jobs, until sweet embrace of Death release us.

    Most important use of cards seems to be access to our multifuntional printers, scattered around our factory. With one wave of card in front of touchscreen the user logs in and summons the screen with available options, then presses the proper symbol and can start printing or copying etc. Works so good we barely notice it at all. Well, most of us.

    Many times I watched certain colleagues of mine to log in, then press the appropriate symbol on touchscreen - WITH THE CORNER OF THE CARD ITSELF! Which means they logged off. Frustrated, they again logged in and pressed the symbol with the card...etc. Dozen times, until the scanner fails to sense the chip and allows them to print. I said I watched them many times. Yes, I was tempted to offer an advice, but it was just too much fun to  watch. Yes, I am such a fiend... Maybe I should intervene before somebody actually stabs a hole in the touchscreen...  



  •  We've got some similar problem at our school. All students have to check in and out. But you have to press the button check-in or check-out first before holding your card in front of it. Because if you put your card in front of it, it gives an error "you didn't pressed a button" *beep*. Pressing buttons is possible when you put your card away first..

    But ofcourse, not everyone knows this fact so it's fun to see how they fail to check in/out, pressing the button holding the card in that hand too. Beep beep beep beep.

     

    Ofcourse, the system itself is a WTF too and currently most students don't even use it anymore. 



  • @HAX said:

    But you have to press the button check-in or check-out first before holding your card in front of it.
     

    Oah, system usability fail. :)

    Our upcoming chipcard system for public transportation requires the same check in/out, but it;s automatic depending on the card's state.

    I'm not sure how the companies plan on managing all the people who forget to check out when getting off the bus, after which they basically drain the money on the card while they're outside, until the moment they next check "in". Maybe with a "tough cookies, bitch"-policy. Maybe it won't be such a problem.



  • @dhromed said:

    @HAX said:

    But you have to press the button check-in or check-out first before holding your card in front of it.
     

    Oah, system usability fail. :)

    Our upcoming chipcard system for public transportation requires the same check in/out, but it;s automatic depending on the card's state.

    I'm not sure how the companies plan on managing all the people who forget to check out when getting off the bus, after which they basically drain the money on the card while they're outside, until the moment they next check "in". Maybe with a "tough cookies, bitch"-policy. Maybe it won't be such a problem.

     

    Sounds similar to London's 'Oyster card' (why Oyster?).  You 'touch in' while going into transport (bus/underground), and 'touch out' when you exit.  I've never used it, but I believe they've dealt with the problem by having a daily maximum, and if you don't 'touch out' that's what you're charged.  Or something similar.  Oh, and they have messages on the loud-speaker in the stations to remind you. Constantly.Over and over again.



  • To OP: A lot of people are deathly afraid of germs and use whatever's handy to operate public keypads.  An old girlfriend of mine was so afraid that she wouldn't risk getting the germs rubbed off on her own car keys and preferred to use mine.  Perhaps the right approach is to put a warning on the card?



  • @George Nacht said:

    perversion
    I was deeply disappointed in this non-perverted article.

    Also, I disagree.  This is a WTF.  It shows a startling failure/lack of existence of Quality Assurance.



  •  When I read the title of this thread, I was terrified that those pictures of me in drag with the llama wearing stilleto heels and a big diaper had been leaked.  The photographer swore they'd never be released in the US or any other country where those acts are illegal, which is, like, most of them.



  • You had on a big leaky diaper with shoes in it? Were you riding the llama? You must not weigh very much.

    BTW: Llama's don't pull well. You should have them carry the load instead of dragging it.

    Are there really heels on hooves?

    I think I'm missing something.



  • The Dalai Lama, obviously.

    Sheesh.


  • :belt_onion:

    @SteamBoat said:

    You had on a big leaky diaper with shoes in it? Were you riding the llama? You must not weigh very much.

    BTW: Llama's don't pull well. You should have them carry the load instead of dragging it.

    Are there really heels on hooves?

    I think I'm missing something.

    The llama is a quarduped which lives in big rivers like the Amazon.

    It has two ears, a heart, a forehead, and a beak for eating honey.
    It is also provided with fins for swimming.

    Llamas are bigger than frogs.

    Llamas are however, very dangerous. If you see one where people are swimming,
    you must shout out “LOOK OUT, THERE ARE LLAMAS!”



  • @George Nacht said:

    Yes, I was tempted to offer an advice, but it was just too much fun to watch
    I understand you completely. It's not so much sadism as it is morbid curiocity. You just have to see how much fail the subject can produce.

    My personal favourite was women talking on their mobiles in the subway, who can't figure out why the line drops between stations. That look of befuddlement, the one that shows a complete lack of understanding of even basic technology... it's like a car accident; you can't look away. Unfortunately they seem to have got used to it lately, so my subway ride is not as entertaining, although I'm pretty sure they still don't understand why it happens.



  • @George Nacht said:

    The card/card scanner network is probably the least WTFey thing in our factory.

    Please don't take this personally, but I would like to never need to work in your factory1.  It sounds like it could provide this site with material for years on end.

    1 Of course, if it's that or destitution, then, by all means, sign me up.  I'm just saying, I hope it doesn't come to that.



  • @dhromed said:

    Our upcoming chipcard system for public transportation requires the same check in/out, but it;s automatic depending on the card's state.

    I'm not sure how the companies plan on managing all the people who forget to check out when getting off the bus, after which they basically drain the money on the card while they're outside, until the moment they next check "in". Maybe with a "tough cookies, bitch"-policy. Maybe it won't be such a problem.

    The system in use here handles this fairly well. If you "tag on" but forget to "tag off" at the other end, the next time you "tag on" to any service you get charged as if you'd stayed on the previous service to the end (or, if it was a rail service, the maximum amount - since you can change trains at the city station without tagging on and off, so you might have been riding around on all the different train lines for all they know). You also get charged the full rate instead of the normal discounted rate. That wasn't originally the case but they changed it so that people would have an incentive to tag off properly; apparently many weren't and they weren't getting good data for destination patterns.



  • @SteamBoat said:

    Filed under: Is your mama a llama?

    <input name="ctl00$ctl00$bcr$bcr$ctl00$PostList$ctl09$ctl23$ctl01" id="ctl00_ctl00_bcr_bcr_ctl00_PostList_ctl09_ctl23_ctl01_State" value="nochange" type="hidden">

     

    No, but I'll bet Obama's mama's a llama!


  • Garbage Person

    @DOA said:

    @George Nacht said:

    Yes, I was tempted to offer an advice, but it was just too much fun to watch
    I understand you completely. It's not so much sadism as it is morbid curiocity. You just have to see how much fail the subject can produce.

    My personal favourite was women talking on their mobiles in the subway, who can't figure out why the line drops between stations. That look of befuddlement, the one that shows a complete lack of understanding of even basic technology... it's like a car accident; you can't look away. Unfortunately they seem to have got used to it lately, so my subway ride is not as entertaining, although I'm pretty sure they still don't understand why it happens.

    I recently discovered that my phone still works (barely) on the DC Metro. This phenomenon is even better when you, yourself can keep on talking while they look at their iPhones and Blackberries in frustration and then glare at you like you're satan.



  • @dhromed said:

    Oah, system usability fail. :)

    Our upcoming chipcard system for public transportation requires the same check in/out, but it;s automatic depending on the card's state.

    I'm not sure how the companies plan on managing all the people who forget to check out when getting off the bus, after which they basically drain the money on the card while they're outside, until the moment they next check "in". Maybe with a "tough cookies, bitch"-policy. Maybe it won't be such a problem.


    I knew you were talking about our dutch ov-chip system before even looking at your location. It's a very big WTF indeed. In the past, now and ofcourse also in the future. I think we'll see lots of it back on this website. 

     When you forgot to check out, an amount is charged.  Don't know how much exactly.

     



  • @HAX said:

     When you forgot to check out, an amount is charged.  Don't know how much exactly.
     

    As I understand it,  it charges for the time spent between checkin and checkout.



  • @Scarlet Manuka said:

    @dhromed said:

    Our upcoming chipcard system for public transportation requires the same check in/out, but it;s automatic depending on the card's state.

    I'm not sure how the companies plan on managing all the people who forget to check out when getting off the bus, after which they basically drain the money on the card while they're outside, until the moment they next check "in". Maybe with a "tough cookies, bitch"-policy. Maybe it won't be such a problem.

    The system in use here handles this fairly well. If you "tag on" but forget to "tag off" at the other end, the next time you "tag on" to any service you get charged as if you'd stayed on the previous service to the end (or, if it was a rail service, the maximum amount - since you can change trains at the city station without tagging on and off, so you might have been riding around on all the different train lines for all they know). You also get charged the full rate instead of the normal discounted rate. That wasn't originally the case but they changed it so that people would have an incentive to tag off properly; apparently many weren't and they weren't getting good data for destination patterns.

     

    Similar thing happens here, but just a fixed fee if you forget to touch off. I got stung that when I caught a bus for the first time (I had only caught trains previously with the go card): I didn't realise I had to touch off at each bus when changing busses, as you don't when you change trains. Thing is a $5 fee for forgetting to touch on/off on a train is only worth 9-10 zones of fare, but you could go 23 zones in this system with a go card fare of $12.22. Oh and the ticketing officers don't have a go card reader so if you enter/exit a small station (without baracades) you can flash the card and they have to take your word you touched on...

     



  • @Weng said:

    I recently discovered that my phone still works (barely) on the DC Metro. This phenomenon is even better when you, yourself can keep on talking while they look at their iPhones and Blackberries in frustration and then glare at you like you're satan.
    Congratulations, you have Verizon.



  • @TwelveBaud said:

    @Weng said:

    I recently discovered that my phone still works (barely) on the DC Metro. This phenomenon is even better when you, yourself can keep on talking while they look at their iPhones and Blackberries in frustration and then glare at you like you're satan.
    Congratulations, you have Verizon.

    Verizon: Exclusive network provider of jackasses shouting into their cellphones for the WMATA.


  • @Weng said:

    I recently discovered that my phone still works (barely) on the DC Metro. This phenomenon is even better when you, yourself can keep on talking while they look at their iPhones and Blackberries in frustration and then glare at you like you're satan.
     

    (This will be my 3rd and last Japan-related post tonight. I'm going to bed now)

    On the trains in Japan there are signs everywhere asking passengers not to talk on mobile/cell phones on the train. It is very quiet on those trains, even when people are squashed in. You see a lot of messaging though, even by the older folks. :)



  • @bstorer said:

    @TwelveBaud said:

    @Weng said:

    I recently discovered that my phone still works (barely) on the DC Metro. This phenomenon is even better when you, yourself can keep on talking while they look at their iPhones and Blackberries in frustration and then glare at you like you're satan.
    Congratulations, you have Verizon.

    Verizon: Exclusive network provider of jackasses shouting into their cellphones for the WMATA.

    So the Metro will arrest a 12 year-old girl for eating french fries but won't taze assholes who user their phones on the train?



  • @morbiuswilters said:

    @bstorer said:

    @TwelveBaud said:

    @Weng said:

    I recently discovered that my phone still works (barely) on the DC Metro. This phenomenon is even better when you, yourself can keep on talking while they look at their iPhones and Blackberries in frustration and then glare at you like you're satan.
    Congratulations, you have Verizon.

    Verizon: Exclusive network provider of jackasses shouting into their cellphones for the WMATA.

    So the Metro will arrest a 12 year-old girl for eating french fries but won't taze assholes who user their phones on the train?

    On the contrary, Verizon pays Metro for the right to provide cell service.  According to this article, Sprint customers can also use it on roam, but I don't know anyone who still has Sprint, so who knows if that's true?


  • @bstorer said:

    @morbiuswilters said:

    @bstorer said:

    @TwelveBaud said:

    @Weng said:

    I recently discovered that my phone still works (barely) on the DC Metro. This phenomenon is even better when you, yourself can keep on talking while they look at their iPhones and Blackberries in frustration and then glare at you like you're satan.
    Congratulations, you have Verizon.

    Verizon: Exclusive network provider of jackasses shouting into their cellphones for the WMATA.

    So the Metro will arrest a 12 year-old girl for eating french fries but won't taze assholes who user their phones on the train?

    On the contrary, Verizon pays Metro for the right to provide cell service.  According to this article, Sprint customers can also use it on roam, but I don't know anyone who still has Sprint, so who knows if that's true?

    The best way I've heard it put was: The Metro is extremely fascistic, except that the Fascists actually made the trains run on time.



  • @Zemm said:

    It is very quiet on those trains, even when people are squashed in. You see a lot of massaging though, even by the older folks. :)
    FTF EWWWW



  • @morbiuswilters said:

    @bstorer said:

    @morbiuswilters said:

    @bstorer said:

    @TwelveBaud said:

    @Weng said:

    I recently discovered that my phone still works (barely) on the DC Metro. This phenomenon is even better when you, yourself can keep on talking while they look at their iPhones and Blackberries in frustration and then glare at you like you're satan.
    Congratulations, you have Verizon.

    Verizon: Exclusive network provider of jackasses shouting into their cellphones for the WMATA.

    So the Metro will arrest a 12 year-old girl for eating french fries but won't taze assholes who user their phones on the train?

    On the contrary, Verizon pays Metro for the right to provide cell service.  According to this article, Sprint customers can also use it on roam, but I don't know anyone who still has Sprint, so who knows if that's true?

    The best way I've heard it put was: The Metro is extremely fascistic, except that the Fascists actually made the trains run on time.

    They can make their trains run on time, sure, but they can't seem to teach their train operators how to speak into the intercom microphone properly.  I don't know how many times they've come on and said something like "Neshokwodfsljhlaadsfjnjafj... redlainzjeddygrooo" and someone from out of town starts looking around, bewildered.  "What did he say?" they'll ask.  But nobody will tell them, because we all hate tourists.


  • @bstorer said:

    They can make their trains run on time, sure, but they can't seem to teach their train operators how to speak into the intercom microphone properly.

    The joke references the Italian Fascists.

     

    @bstorer said:

    I don't know how many times they've come on and said something like "Neshokwodfsljhlaadsfjnjafj... redlainzjeddygrooo" and someone from out of town starts looking around, bewildered.  "What did he say?" they'll ask.  But nobody will tell them, because we all hate tourists.

    Who doesn't hate tourists?  This is why I prefer the good old-fashioned automated voice systems on trains.  It makes me feel like I'm riding the tram from the beginning sequence of Half-Life which adds a bit of adventure to my day.  Sure, it also helps tourists find their way but we prefer to let the muggers and pantsless psychotics make the out-of-towners feel welcomed.



  • @morbiuswilters said:

    @bstorer said:

    They can make their trains run on time, sure, but they can't seem to teach their train operators how to speak into the intercom microphone properly.

    The joke references the Italian Fascists.

    I know that.  But I opted to focus on what really matters.  The bigger issue isn't their insane zero-tolerance policy, but the fact that the operators all do a bad Mushmouth impersonation.  For what it's worth, I heard from a very reliable source that the Metro Transit Police intentionally selected the biggest dicks to participate in the undercover crackdown that busted the french fry girl.

     @morbiuswilters said:

    @bstorer said:

    I don't know how many times they've come on and said something like "Neshokwodfsljhlaadsfjnjafj... redlainzjeddygrooo" and someone from out of town starts looking around, bewildered.  "What did he say?" they'll ask.  But nobody will tell them, because we all hate tourists.

    Who doesn't hate tourists?  This is why I prefer the good old-fashioned automated voice systems on trains.  It makes me feel like I'm riding the tram from the beginning sequence of Half-Life which adds a bit of adventure to my day.  Sure, it also helps tourists find their way but we prefer to let the muggers and pantsless psychotics make the out-of-towners feel welcomed.

      Maybe they should say something like "Next stop, the White House, Mall, all the Museums and Monuments, and your hotel" in a really clear voice when stopping in the neighborhoods even the police won't walk through alone.  The steady influx of potential mugging victims should help close the socioeconomic gaps, right?

     



  • @morbiuswilters said:

    It makes me feel like I'm riding the tram from the beginning sequence of Half-Life which adds a bit of adventure to my day. 
     

    With the tram and metro here, it's more like the intro sequence of Half-Life 2.

    I may have glimpsed a vortigaunt with a broom somewhere.



  • @morbiuswilters said:

    It makes me feel like I'm riding the tram from the beginning sequence of Half-Life which adds a bit of adventure to my day.
    Shameless promotion, because I have been thoroughly entertained by this series:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J80KD4BG7M.  The series is called Freeman's Mind.  I think anyone woudl enjoy this video series.



  • @morbiuswilters said:

    @bstorer said:

    They can make their trains run on time, sure, but they can't seem to teach their train operators how to speak into the intercom microphone properly.

    The joke references the Italian Fascists.

     

    @bstorer said:

    I don't know how many times they've come on and said something like "Neshokwodfsljhlaadsfjnjafj... redlainzjeddygrooo" and someone from out of town starts looking around, bewildered.  "What did he say?" they'll ask.  But nobody will tell them, because we all hate tourists.

    Who doesn't hate tourists?  This is why I prefer the good old-fashioned automated voice systems on trains.  It makes me feel like I'm riding the tram from the beginning sequence of Half-Life which adds a bit of adventure to my day.  Sure, it also helps tourists find their way but we prefer to let the muggers and pantsless psychotics make the out-of-towners feel welcomed.

    The problem is though that quality of mugger varies so much in boston.  Forest Hills mugger for example have been known to slice their own groin open while pulling a carving knife out of their pants while those in dudley seem to put more thought into How to dispose of the body.

    PS: I'm one of those smug asshats who get cell service in the tunnels.



  • You know what I really don't like? There are people who, when a train pulls into Vienna/Fairfax-GMU, ignore:

    • the train operator announcing "Out of service out of service out of service! *screech screech* Train is out of service, please exit this train; customers on the platform, do not attempt to board this train! *screech* This train is out of service!"
    • the blinking cabin lights
    • the destination sign reading "NO PASSENGERS" or (rarely) " | WEST FALLS CH" or (even more rarely) " | ADDISON RD" rather than the expected " | NEW CARROLLTN"
    • the flashing "Next Train" sign pointing away from that train
    • the train information display on that platform reading "TRAIN OUT OF SERVICE DO NOT BOARD"
    and get on the train anyway, and then act all surprised and indignant when the train operator throws them out.

    I think the train operators should just keep those passengers locked in the train, even when it enters the railyard. And if they try to break out before the train goes back in service again, arrest them for trespass and vandalism.


  • @TwelveBaud said:

    I think the train operators should just keep those passengers locked in the train, even when it enters the railyard. And if they try to break out before the train goes back in service again, arrest them for trespass and vandalism.

    That'd be illegal... but driving straight to the railyard and making them walk back probably wouldn't.



  • @Random832 said:

    That'd be illegal...
     

     

    Really? would it?


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